This thread was about sentiment, so I will comment on that and the effect on importers of any anti-China sentiment.
For years the apparent driver of anti-China sentiment was the belief that Chinese products were of poor quality. So what happened? Westerners bought the cheap stuff anyway, because it was cheap.
Some small importers and some big name buyers discovered that they could in fact get better quality products from China by avoiding haggling to the last 1/2 cent.
The current anti-China sentiment appears to be driven by all the media reporting of criticism of China's handling of the Covid19 outbreak. In the very short term I expect that some Western consumers will be prepared to pay extra to avoid buying Chinese made, but I can't see that lasting, particularly when their income has been affected by the pandemic.
Meanwhile, importers might wake up to the fact that (according to UN Statistics) in 2018 China produced 28% of the world's manufactured products.
That means the rest of the world manufactured 72%!
So why do small importers put their blinkers on and only look in the direction of China? The answer is simple. Locating and buying goods from China is a simple process. Importers have been spoon fed.
I admit to feeling frustrated that for years my calls here on the forum, and in my sourcing and importing book, to look at importing from other countries have largely gone unheeded.
A number of readers of my book have reported success in sourcing products from the 72% of manufacturers beyond China. Some have declared here on this forum that they have obtained better quality at lower cost.
But why so few? It's because most are LAZY.
Although I have done the hard work for them of locating and investigating the genuineness of a huge number of sourcing sites in other countries, and in many cases included instructions on how to navigate those sites; IT'S JUST TOO DAMNED HARD for most. I can't spoon feed them like Alibaba does.
I have never hidden the terrible truth that it does require more effort, more thought, and more time.
With current worldwide trade problems I suggest the first bit of thinking on the subject should be:
"What are the possible benefits of shifting my sourcing away from China?"
Walter
For years the apparent driver of anti-China sentiment was the belief that Chinese products were of poor quality. So what happened? Westerners bought the cheap stuff anyway, because it was cheap.
Some small importers and some big name buyers discovered that they could in fact get better quality products from China by avoiding haggling to the last 1/2 cent.
The current anti-China sentiment appears to be driven by all the media reporting of criticism of China's handling of the Covid19 outbreak. In the very short term I expect that some Western consumers will be prepared to pay extra to avoid buying Chinese made, but I can't see that lasting, particularly when their income has been affected by the pandemic.
Meanwhile, importers might wake up to the fact that (according to UN Statistics) in 2018 China produced 28% of the world's manufactured products.
That means the rest of the world manufactured 72%!
So why do small importers put their blinkers on and only look in the direction of China? The answer is simple. Locating and buying goods from China is a simple process. Importers have been spoon fed.
I admit to feeling frustrated that for years my calls here on the forum, and in my sourcing and importing book, to look at importing from other countries have largely gone unheeded.
A number of readers of my book have reported success in sourcing products from the 72% of manufacturers beyond China. Some have declared here on this forum that they have obtained better quality at lower cost.
But why so few? It's because most are LAZY.
Although I have done the hard work for them of locating and investigating the genuineness of a huge number of sourcing sites in other countries, and in many cases included instructions on how to navigate those sites; IT'S JUST TOO DAMNED HARD for most. I can't spoon feed them like Alibaba does.
I have never hidden the terrible truth that it does require more effort, more thought, and more time.
With current worldwide trade problems I suggest the first bit of thinking on the subject should be:
"What are the possible benefits of shifting my sourcing away from China?"
Walter
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